Rainbow of Love
by Yukishiro Madoka
Summary: Kikyo has died once again at the hands of Naraku, leaving Inuyasha heartbroken. He needs to know if she's at peace. And Kikyo's spirit sends him a sign, triggering a wonderful memory...[InuxKik] [OneShot]


Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha! Otherwise, Kagome would just die and Sesshomaru and Inuyasha would fight over Kikyo! Bwah! xD

A/N. Just pretend that Kikyo and Kagome would have their own seperate souls, and that Kikyo can bleed. o,o

* * *

_This isn't happening...No..._Inuyasha thought, mixed feelings of sadness, horror, grief, and disbelief burning within his heart. The kind-hearted, pure priestess, Kikyo- _his _beloved Kikyo - was dying. She lay on the ground, her back supported by his arm, blood pouring from her body like a waterfall. Her face was barely recongnizable with all of the blood, but he wiped it off with his sleeve to reveal the lovely, pale face of his Kikyo. Except her expression wasn't what he wanted to see. Her elegant face, now twisted into an expression of unbearable pain, tore and gnawed at his heart, leaving deep scars that could not be erased.

"Inuyasha..." Kikyo whispered hoarsely, her voice so faint and feeble that an ordinary human would have to strain to hear her. As his name escaped from her lips, a thin line of blood ran down the corner of her lips. Inuyasha's sharp ears took in her voice, sadness taking full control of his heart. Kikyo's hazel eyes, full of pain, slowly shut, but she let out weak gasps of pain, desperately taking in air.

"Kikyo..." he managed to choke out. "I'm...so sorry...If only...I had come earlier...I could of saved you from that wretched Naraku..." _Please forgive me, Kikyo..._

Then he did something he had always wanted to do for Kikyo, but never had the vast courage to. He began to cry silently, his teary eyes fixed upon the face of his dying lover. He didn't care if he seemed weak, crying like this. To weep for a lost love was human, and he indeed possessed human blood, which he had inherited from his mother. A tear slid down his cheek and landed on Kikyo's face.

_Inuyasha...you're...crying for me...? Only the brave dare to cry..._"No...Inuyasha...please don't cry..." Kikyo pleaded, her hand reaching to touch his face and brush away his tears. Her hand didn't have the strength anymore to move, so it fell back down by her side. She tried to speak again, but no sound came out. A tear slid down her cheek. She had brought him so much grief. All she could do was hope that he could move on and forget about her when death came to claim her. "Don't cry..." she repeated again, straining to open her eyes. With the last ounce of strength she possessed, her eyes fluttered open and rested upon Inuyasha's tear-stained face. Her eyes traveled about his face, taking in as much detail as she could see, making up for what she could never see when her spirit departed from her body.

"Kikyo...Please forgive me...I failed to protect you again...I'm going to lose you again...Because of Naraku..." Inuyasha whispered mournfully. Kikyo shook her head, and strained to give him a reassuring smile.

"Inuyasha...Please don't blame yourself...It's my fault that my life will end...Because I failed to protect myself..." Kikyo murmured, and her head moved in a motion of what seemed to be a shake of her head. "I'm such a fool..."

Nonsense. _He _was the fool. She just didn't realize it.

Kikyo had sacrificed her life 50 years ago...just to be with Inuyasha in death. She could of used the Shikon Jewel to save herself, but she chose to follow him in death, even as bitter thoughts of anger, betrayal, and sadness overcame her soul, not allowing her spirit to rest in peace. Inuyasha had never repaid her for her sacrifice and instead, he had brought her grief, sadness, hurt, and pain. And she was going to die again, and he couldn't do anything to save her. It was all Naraku's fault. And _his. _

"Kikyo...if you're going to die again, you won't be alone...Your life belongs to me...So if your life isn't within my reach, I'd gladly die to be with you!" Inuyasha gritted his teeth, hoping to stop the overflowing flood of tears. Kikyo's eyes enlarged at his statement. So Inuyasha did really care for her...But no matter how long they desired for one another, to be together was impossible. Her vision was slowly fading, from her lack of life and from the flood of tears.

"Don't be a fool, Inuyasha. You have much to live for, while I, a dead maiden in the form of a body forged of clay, soil, and bones, walk among the living only for one foolish reason. Vengance." Kikyo sighed. "To burn with desire to gain vengance is human. You live for that as well as being with your new lover...my reincarnation..." Kikyo's heart ached painfully to hear herself say those words, but deep down inside her heart, she knew it was true. Inuyasha opened his mouth to object but Kikyo continued,"Kagome has given you more than I ever will. Looking back at my past actions and feelings, I realize what a fool I was. Your heart belongs to Kagome, and always will. Although there is a memory of what was once lingering deep within your heart, your love for me can not possibly compare to your love for Kagome...So please...when I die, please forget about me...Live and be happy..." Inuyasha had been silent this whole time, letting her words sink into his mind. Did he really love Kagome? Even more than he loved Kikyo?

Kikyo...The woman whohe first fell in love with. She was the one who had melted his heart and reduced his hatred towards humans. She made him realize that all humans weren't bad. She had taught him to love. Inuyasha couldn't remember a time happier than he had been with Kikyo.

Kagome...Kikyo's reincarnation. Aside from her angry outbursts and 'sits!' she was a girl with a loving heart.Although she could never replace Kikyo, she had filled up the empty void in his heart with the same love Kikyo had given him.

No. Kikyo was correct...and wrong.

"Kikyo...It's true that I love Kagome...I cannot deny that. But you hold a special place in my heart, Kikyo!" Inuyasha declared. "Kikyo...Can't you understand?" Inuyasha's eyes filled with more sadness, more than eyes could contain. "I could never forget about you, even if I tried. I could never be happy without you...I love you, Kikyo..." He held her closer and captured her lips in a loving kiss. The kiss lasted a long moment, before Kikyo broke away, wanting to say her last words before death claimed her.

"...Inuyasha..." Kikyo whispered softly, her eyes threatening to close forever. With the last ounce of her strength, she kept her eyes open for the longest she possibly could. Tears trickled down her face like rivers, and her breath was rapidly growing shorter. "Even though the hatred that I lived on affects my feelings for you..." -Kikyo released a gasp of pain- "...I still...lo..-" She let out her last breath of life, and her lips formed words but produced no sound. Her eyes, once full of life, turned hollow and dull, and her eyelids dropped over her eyes.

_No...! Please...Kikyo, please, don't be dead! _"No...Kikyo! You can't be dead! I still need you!" Inuyasha could only cry endlessly now, his face buried against Kikyo's shoulder. His beloved Kikyo was gone.

* * *

Inuyasha could not bear to bury her. Instead, he decided to place her body under the Sacred Tree - the place where they had first met, and where they also met their bitter deaths. After placing her body on the soft, green, healthy grass, he tried his best to clean off her blood. Now that most of the blood was gone, her scent, the sweet smell of cherry blossoms, entered his nostrils, bringing back wonderful yet painful memories. Although she was lifeless, a faint glow glimmered within her face. Her expression seemed somewhat peaceful. He wondered what her expression looked like when she died 50 years ago, thinking he had betrayed her, killed her with his own hands just to retrieve the Shikon Jewel to use for his own selfish reasons. He shook his head. He prefered not to think of Kikyo feeling any other negative feelings in death, especially anger and pain.

His task was not yet done. He placed a small bundle of Kikyo's most favorite flowers - _Kikyo- c_hinese bellflowers, and _Sakura- c_herry blossoms- beside Kikyo's body. With tears glistening in his eyes, he gazed down at her body. _I swear, Kikyo, I'll kill Naraku for all of the suffering he's caused you!_

"Kikyo..." he whispered, holding her hand gently. "Please forgive me. Are you angry that I could not save you in time? Is your soul overcome with anger and hatred because your quest for revenge wasn't complete? Revenge against Naraku, for tearing us apart? For killing you? And revenge against me, for supposedly betraying you for Kagome? Please Kikyo...I need to know if you're at peace...Send me a sign...Anything!" Tears streamed down his face. Although Kikyo's pain was over, he now bore the suffering. He couldn't bear it. He held Kikyo in his arms, crying with his face buried against her shoulder. Suddenly, water dropped onto Kikyo's face. And it wasn't his tears. He lifted his head and gazed up towards the heavens.

Rain drifted softly from the leaky sky. Aside from that, something else caught his eye. A great large, magnificent array of colors came down out of the clouds as if by magic. A beautiful rainbow! Every hue was bright and vivid, gleaming down at Kikyo and Inuyasha.

_-Flashback-_

_"Inuyasha!" Kikyo whispered in a hushed tone. "Look!" She pointed towards the sky. "A rainbow..." Indeed, a rainbow stretched towards the heavens, every color sparkling brightly. The sky was streaked with many bright lights of different colors - orange, blue, pink, and yellow. The elegant rainbow's array of colors added to the brightness of the sky. It was a truly beautiful sight._

_"Isn't it beautiful?" Kikyo said in an awed voice, staring up at the rainbow. _

_"Uh...I guess so..." Inuyasha mumbled, gazing up at the array of beautiful colors. He always wondered why humans fussed over such useless things. But he had to admit that the rainbow was beautiful, each band of color glistening in the sky. "What's so special about these rainbows?" _

_"Rainbows...Every bright band of color reminds me of something special in my life..." Kikyo explained. "Purple, the band at the heart of each rainbow, is Kaede's favorite color, and reminds me of how much I love her. Blue...Blue reminds me of my mother. Always sad and lonely, yet very kind and calm...Green reminds me of the herbs I use to help cure sick people...Yellow...Yellow is the color of...your eyes..." Kikyo smiled at Inuyasha, her hazel orbs sparkling with happiness. "Orange reminds me of my father because orange was his favorite color...And red...the color at the top of each rainbow...Red reminds me of...you...Brave, fierce, and bold..." Kikyo continued to stare up at the rainbow, which was gradually disappearing, but every color still continued to remain true and vivid. _

_"Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered, moving closer to her. _

_"Yes...?" Kikyo murmured. Unexpectly, his arms were wrapped around her in a tight embrace. Kikyo's eyes enlarged. "I...Inuyasha?" _

_"Kikyo...I'm glad that I'm as special to you as you're special to me..." Inuyasha confessed. Kikyo was so warm...so soft...He loved the feeling of having her in his arms...She just fit perfectly and snugly in his arms. _

_"I am too..." Kikyo murmured quietly, gently hugging him back, a smile forming on her face, as they both watched the rainbow disappear from sight. But the memory of the rainbow was not gone. It rested within their minds, filling their thoughts of the beautiful rainbow, and how special they were to each other..._

_-End of Flashback-_

Rainbows...

Every rainbow symbolized something in his life too: how much Kikyo loved rainbows, and how much he loved her. He smiled through his tears as he gently set Kikyo's body back on the ground. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, which was still warm and soft even after a few hours after her death. Kikyo...was at peace. He gazed up at the beautiful rainbow, the rainbow Kikyo's spirit had painted for him in the sky. Within the rainbow, Kikyo's image appeared, her hazel eyes sparkling with faint happiness, her long, raven hair blowing across her face, her delicate lips curving up to form a small smile. _Kikyo...Thank you...And don't forget...I'll always love you..._

* * *

A/N. Aww...Poor Kikyo and Inuyasha...-pats their heads- Btw, I got a lil inspiration from a story from Chicken Soup, so yeah...xD 


End file.
